


bend my bones into mysteries.

by agirlkillsgod



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Academia, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Food, Gen, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, but this is an au so who cares <3, if the characters are ooc no they aren't because no they are not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29274615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agirlkillsgod/pseuds/agirlkillsgod
Summary: New term, new house matron; while the housemates of Ten—Hera in TARDIS Academy were more than happy with the old one, Idris fits in like she had been there since the start. But when River Song sees something, it is up to the students of Ten—Hera to uncover what's really going on.
Relationships: Clara Oswin Oswald/River Song, Thirteenth Doctor & Bill Potts, Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan, Thirteenth Doctor/River Song, more to come!, relationships will not be the main focus
Kudos: 6





	bend my bones into mysteries.

**Author's Note:**

> i was thinking about house of anubis and this kinda just happened.
> 
> i don't have anything solid in mind yet because planning is not my forté but i have loads of muse so as long as sixth form doesn't take over my life i plan to update and write this quite quickly. <3
> 
> feel free to chat with me on twitter (@spacevvives) about it!

“Welcome back, students!” Headmistress Harriet Jones’ sapphire heels clicking on the floor are almost louder than her greeting and Thea Smith winces. Outside of the Ten—Hera dining room, October rages; wind whips through skeletal branches and pushes them against the ivied brick of the academy and rain clouds weigh down the granite sky. “I trust you’ve all had a delightful half term break. It snowed here, so I hope it did back home for you. 

“As I’m sure you’re aware, your old house matron had to leave under unfortunate circumstances—”

“I heard she got caught shagging someone in the woods,” Bill Potts and her springy coils whisper into the shell of her small ear.

“—I’d like to introduce your new house matron, Idris.” From the door to the living room walks in a woman with light brown hair and sable eyes that seem to encapture the stars themselves. Clad in a shirt and plaid—skirt combo not too dissimilar from the academy’s uniform, Thea can practically hear Bill’s dreamy sigh. She nudges the other girl for good measure. “She’s very experienced, hailing from the Kasterborous Institute. Anyone with siblings who attended TARDIS a few years ago will recognise her as the  _ losing _ Kasterborous football coach, so I’m perfectly sure you’re in good hands.

“Now, I have a meeting to get to, so I’ll leave you in Idris’ capable hands. Be  _ nice _ , Ten—Hera,” fixing the assembly with a withering glare, Headmistress Jones turns on her heel and Idris slips into the space just—occupied. Something about the efficiency nags itches Thea’s wrist. Students file out, returning to their midmorning activities of the break’s unfinished homework and unpacking for tomorrow’s classes. 

“I gotta meet Heather,” Bill says and Thea nods, grinning as the taller girl skips off without her jacket. Slinging her book bag of science textbooks and her brothers’ graphic novels over her shoulder, she makes to approach their new house matron —— but freezes upon noticing who’s already there: Space hair River Song and mousy eyes Clara Oswald.

Honestly, she’s unsurprised, more frustrated with herself for not placing a bet on it with Rose Tyler. River and Clara have been Ten—Hera’s power couple since May; the harmony of the leather jacket and the pinafore is something that still confuses Thea. Alongside Amy Pond, they throw the campus’ best parties at the boathouse, and while Thea has nought problems with either, River has always intimidated her. River Song is a whirl of chaos, cosmogyral and neverending snark, Thea Smith is ludic, suspenders and physics puns; River Song has nineteen detentions to Thea Smith’s one in the last half term alone.

When Clara’s olive fingers enclose around Idris’ suitcase, Thea makes her rush up the grand staircase to the girls’ dorms. 

* * *

Though not technically allowed with the uniform, bunny slippers prevent the stone floor from chilling her to the bone as Thea sets the table for tea time with their best silverware. Bill skids in, switching Donna Noble’s knife and fork around as she goes; Thea turns a blind eye for the second year in a row.

“Are those allowed?” Idris asks, the sudden appearance startling Thea enough that she almost knocks over the jug of orange juice with her acute elbow. Yasmin Khan’s snickers aren’t hidden well enough. “Oh, sorry, sweetie, I didn’t mean to scare you. Thea, right?”

“Thea Smith,” She replies, a little belatedly. “And technically no,  _ but _ Headmistress Jones has never minded.”

“Yeah, she has, Thee,” Yaz pops in, “you ‘nd your brothers just never listened.”

“Semantics.”

Idris asks, “brothers?”

“Oh yeah, Thea’s got five, somehow all born in the same year. Nico, her triplets Teddy and Elmo, and Tidus,” Yaz helpfully supplies. “All in different houses. Don’t confuse them with Luke Smith, the kid of Miss Sarah Jane Smith. I confused Teddy with him once and almost got slapped.”

“Hey, Luke’s nice!” Thea insists. “Rani just thinks we’re a bit eccentric.”

“Semantics.”

“Well,” Idris chuckles, clapping her pale hands as Thea places the last knife and fork. “Seems like you three are good friends. Mind getting the rest of your housemates?”

Bill pulls the rope on the bell and in time with the tintinnabulation students march down the staircase and begin to fill the oak chairs. Despite it only being five—thirty, nighttime is an indigo blanket over the school; too early for moonbeams and starlight to soak into skins but certainly late enough for owls to cry from the chimneys. Pelting rain is but a drizzle but the remnants from the storm drip down guttering and leaves alike. With Bill and Yasmin on either side gossiping, Thea tucks into her meal and gets lost in the sounds, crushing berries and pastry against the roof of her mouth and sipping water to take the tang away.

Eyes wander to the paintings and poetry that line the wall, to the empty candle holders and the unlit fireplace. The chill of the Academy feels colder than usual as she longs for the childlike wonder that TARDIS Academy used to give her. Now it’s all predictable; sharp corners and rough ceilings with science labs inadequate for how she dreams

“Thea,” Idris cuts through her musings, brows furrowed. “Your brother, Elmo apparently, is outside.”

“Thank you.” Throwing one last blackcurrant between her lips, she rushes to her feet and accepts Yaz’s jacket. In her haste and accursed slippers, she falls into the wall. No one holds back their laughter as she rubs the back of her neck and leaves, much slower this time.

It’s in the courtyard between Ten—Hera and Ten—Demeter that she finds Elmo, dressed in his tweed jacket and her suspenders, chestnut tresses saturated with rain. Between his index finger and thumb he holds a crumpled envelope.

“Ah, the bunny slippers,” he says, “they wet?”

“They are now, no thanks to you. Didn’t realise the dry path was closed off,” she shrugs, tugging the black jacket closer to her small frame. “What’s that about?”

“Ti got it through. Bit early into the term for letters from mum if you ask me, something about behaving this term. As if we didn’t last term.”

“Nico got three detentions from Headmistress Jones alone, El.” Accepting and unfolding the letter, if Elmo responds she’s too busy studying their mother’s cautious cursive to hear.

_ Dear Tirius, and the others because I imagine you’ll share this around. _

_ Please do me and your father a favour and  _ **_behave_ ** _ this term, as we’re going away for a few weeks, so we cannot bail you out of science projects gone awry.  _

_ We’ll be back for the Easter holidays. _

_ — Mother. x _

“Same old, same old,” he takes it back and hides it within the linen of his trouser pocket. Though the flowerbed wall is wet, he sits down on it; she’s quick to follow. Pointing at her slippers, “Those need a wash.”

Sliding them through a puddle and splashing the muddy water at him, she delights in the way he shrieks. “It’s your fault they’re wet!” A pause accompanied only by the crystallisation of their breaths. “That’s weird, isn’t it? How the path is blocked off? It doesn’t need repairs or anything. Wanna go have a look?”

“I think you're just jumping to conclusions, Thee.”

“You reckon?”

“Yeah. Keep an eye out just in case, but this is TARDIS Academy. Only boring stuff happens here.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

But as she’s walking away, she can’t help but glance at the now forbidden corridor; she swiftly looks away when she sees a blue…  _ thing _ enter.

* * *

A few hours later Thea is back in her dorm room, hanging sodden slippers on the heater to dry and tucking herself under a blanket with the biscuits Bill managed to sneak for them. Their TV is mumbling about something they aren’t paying nearly enough attention to as they giggle and frustrate over a deck of  _ Uno _ by the light of a melting candle.

Slamming the door open and flickering the candle, River Song appears with her wild mane in braids. Jaws drop as they take in her disgruntled appearance and exertion—painted cheeks. This is the most vulnerable she has ever been seen. “Thea, I — I need your help.”


End file.
